Notebook: Spurs will spend final night scoreboard watching

By Jeff McDonald :
April 16, 2013
: Updated: April 17, 2013 1:22am

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Spurs coach Gregg Popovich says he doesn't know if his players are scoreboard-watching to try to determine who they might play in the first round of the playoffs.

Monday night at Golden State, they didn't have a choice. The screens at Oracle Arena perpetually gave updates of Phoenix's victory over Houston, a game that had significant implications in the race for the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.

“We talked about it in the locker room after the game,” Spurs guard Gary Neal said. “Players are aware of it. Whoever it is, we'll have home court, and we'll be trying to protect that.”

Though locked into the No. 2 seed heading into Wednesday's finale against Minnesota, the Spurs will spend the final night of the season monitoring with keen interest the goings-on elsewhere.

The big game occurs in Los Angeles, where a Lakers victory over Houston would set them up on a first-round collision course with the Spurs. A Rockets win would pair the Spurs with Houston, assuming Golden State also takes care of Portland.

“It's something we can't control,” forward Matt Bonner said. “We've got one more game, and we're going to approach that with whoever we have out there. Then we'll see where the chips fall.”

Old Man and the D: In the midst of a season that has pushed him to the top 3 of the NBA's block charts, Tim Duncan has begun garnering buzz as a leading candidate to win the Defensive Player of the Year award.

Add Popovich's voice to that chorus.

“I think he could definitely be in the discussion, just like I think Tony (Parker) should be in the discussion for MVP,” said Popovich, acknowledging “someone else” (ahem, Miami's LeBron James) was likely to win the latter.

“Obviously somebody else is going to get (MVP), and deservedly so, but there's nothing wrong with being recognized and being in the conversation.”

Were Duncan to earn top defensive honors, he would be the oldest player in history to win that award. He turns 37 on April 25.

Also averaging 17.9 points and 9.9 rebounds, Duncan has a chance to return to the first-team All-NBA squad for the first time since 2007.

Impressing Popovich: Warriors guard Stephen Curry scored 24 of his 35 points in the second half of Monday's 116-106 victory over the shorthanded Spurs, hit 7 of 13 on 3-pointers and thrilled one unlikely fan.

“It was actually fun to watch,” Popovich said. “Everybody hates losing, but I enjoyed the hell out of watching a talented kid perform the way he did.”